amika

I finally jumped on the subscription service bandwagon and decided to subscribe to a monthly box with beauty/skincare products.  I like experimenting with skincare more than I do with cosmetics, so after doing a lot of research online, I decided to go with Birchbox.  This is the first box that I got and since I signed up during the month of April, it came at the end of April.  Sidenote: those who live on the West Coast may have to wait up to 10 days after shipping to receive their box.  For someone like me who is impatient, this was not a fun wait.

Birchbox did a collaboration with Rifle Paper Co. – hence the box title.  I was also able to enter a code at checkout to get a free notebook and coupon.  Who doesn’t love free things?  I think I’ll be carrying around one of those little notebooks to write down blog post ideas while I’m out and about.  Now, onto the reviews:

(Malin + Goetz ) grapefruit face cleanser | Full-size $32 Birchbox.com:  This citrus-y cleanser is supposed to help dissolve dirt and oil, clear breakouts, and balance your skins natural pH.  This one is oil-free and has hyaluronic acid and vitamin E.  After my first use, I didn’t even realize it was supposed to be a foaming face wash.  I squeezed out about 2 pea sized amounts, added water and washed my face – with no foam.  It wasn’t until the 3rd time I had used it, that it started to foam.  Strange… Anyway, it smells just like grapefruit, which I LOVE.  It seems to be gentle, doesn’t dry out my skin, and my face feels and looks clean.  It reminds me of my Fresh Soy Cleanser as it is pretty gentle.  I think this would be great to use with a Clarisonic – foaming or not.   I would buy the full size.  

(Malin + Goetz) Vitamin E Face Moisturizer | Full-size $– Birchbox.com:  This came as just a bonus small sample.  I really liked using this in conjunction with the face cleanser.  Doesn’t have the most pleasant of smells but I got used to it after awhile.  Very light, oil-free and I liked using it as a daytime face lotion.  The product description even states that it would be great as makeup primer.  I will have to agree on this.  Thumbs up!  I would buy the full size.  

amika Touchable Hairspray | Full-size $24 Birchbox.com: This hairspray is a dry mist that offers strong-yet-flexible hold while battling frizz by protecting against the effects of humidity.  I tried and the smell immediately reminded me of bug spray.  It is not as “touchable” as I would like and quite frankly, this will go in my handbag for emergency purposes but I will not be purchasing a full size.

Milk Makeup Gel Brow – Pilsner (Medium Brown)| Full-size $18:  This is a gel formula that is waterproof and transfer-proof.  I liked how it felt going on my eyebrows.  I can definitely tell that there is some wax in it to hold my eyebrow hairs in place.  The color was not bad for me, a little darker than I would prefer but not bad at all.  This was just okay.  I prefer the eyebrow pencil that I usually use, Cle de Peau, but I will put this in my travel makeup bag for touch-ups while on the road or at work.

PETER THOMAS ROTH Acne-Clear Invisible Dots | Full-size $30: Comes in two different sizes so you can pick which one will best cover your breakout.  There is salicylic acid to heal breakouts and prevent new ones.  This one was a lot of fun because they’re stickers – and who doesn’t like to play with stickers?  Luckily, and not so lucky, I had a pimple that was starting to sprout on my chin so out came the stickers.  And what do you know, after sleeping with one of these suckers on my new friend, the pimple was not red and was pretty much gone.  Now, I have to say that it was in its “beginning stages” so take that with a grain of salt.  This stuff isn’t bad and I will probably buy the full-size when I run out of the samples.

The Beauty Crop PBJ Smoothie Stick – Guava Nice Day | Full-size $14.95: Contains Sweet Almond Oil.  Upon application, I immediately noticed a sweet smell.  I couldn’t tell if it was lychee, guava, or melon but it definitely has a nice scent (I actually figured it out from the website – it’s almost butter and goji berry!).  The color is pretty but not exactly something that I would wear on a daily basis.  Nice to have for days where I feel like wearing some color on my lips.

I just got an email notification that my May Birchbox was shipped and is on its way!  I can’t wait to review the next box for you.  If you want to join me, subscribe HERE!

Until next time….